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Italy’s Referendum on Citizenship and Job Protections Fails because of Low Turnout
- Italy held abrogative referendums on June 8 and 9, 2025, in Rome and nationwide, focusing on labor rights and citizenship rules.
- The referendums aimed to repeal parts of a 2010 labor reform and reduce citizenship residency from 10 to 5 years, but voter turnout fell below the 50% threshold.
- Although over 9.2 million Italians, about 65%, supported easing citizenship rules and nearly 88-89% backed labor protections, turnout was just 30.6%, invalidating the results.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the government opposed the votes, with Meloni declining to take a ballot and encouraging abstention as part of the political process.
- The failed referendums highlight declining voter participation in Italy and suggest ongoing challenges for labor and migration policy debates ahead.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said today that the referendum on labor reforms and citizenship, which with a turnout of 30 percent failed to reach a quorum, was actually a referendum on the opposition, and that the result was clear.
Referenda was on opposition, clear result - Meloni
The weekend referenda on labour and citizenship reforms was in fact a referendum on the opposition and "the result is clear" in that they lost with a turnout of just 30% and the quorum missed, Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday. (ANSA)
Italy: referendum to improve working conditions fails necessary quorum. Basic union USB calls for departure from the social partnership.
Left fails to win its referendums in Italy - International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine
“All five referendums were lost because none reached the quorum of 50% of the electorate. Around 88-89% who voted supported the progressive changes to the labour laws but this went down by 33 percentage points for the change to the citizenship process for immigrants.” IVP605 - June 2025 / Italy, Trade unions/workplace organizing
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Left
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